Retrofit of Un-Reinforced Infill Masonry Walls with FRP

This paper describes an experimental program that deals with retrofitting of infill un-reinforced masonry walls (URM) with Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP). The primary objective of this research is to develop a retrofit strategy that while economical will minimize the influence of the retrofit on the overall performance of structural frames in predominant seismic regions. Allowing some damage to develop in the infill walls but guaranteeing that no out-of-plane collapse occurs under a moderate to strong seismic event will accomplish this objective. In parallel, analytical studies will aim at establishing design and strengthening guidelines for masonry structures. The experimental work completed up to date includes the testing of three URM walls retrofitted with vertical rods and horizontal rods, commonly referred to as structural repointing (Tumialan, et. al., 2001). The slenderness ratio of these walls was approximately 22 and the aspect ratio was one. Li, T., P.F. Silva, A. Belarbi, A. Nanni, and J.J. Myers, "Retrofit of Un-Reinforced Infill Masonry Walls with FRP," CCC 2001 Composites in Construction, Porto, Portugal, October 10-12, 2001. lapse occurs under a moderate to strong seismic event. Analytical studies will enhance the experimental program by developing guidelines to predict the in-plane performance of infill URM walls. The design guidelines will complement existing documents developed by the American Concrete Institute (i.e., ACI-440H, ACI-440F, and ACI-530).